Got a Minute with Melanie MacNeil

Professional hoop dancer

Published: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 7:32 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 7:32 a.m.

Age: 34 Job: Professional hoop dancer Melanie MacNeil grew up in Plymouth, Mass., and became a WNC transplant after attending Warren Wilson College, where she studied social work. She has traveled the region, hoop dancing at festivals, and she represented the United States as a “hoop ambassador” in Jamaica. From June through August, MacNeil helps coordinate the Asheville Community Hoop Jam, a free hooping event every Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Pritchard Park. She lives in Mountain Home with her fiancÚ and their two boys, ages 2 and 2 months.

What’s the difference between “hoop dancing” and regular hula-hooping?

Hula-hooping is more of the classic style, which usually is just spinning a hoop around your waist. Hoop dancing involves full body movement and also includes using the hoops on all the parts of the body: hips, hands, head, wrists, neck, everything. Also, it means you’re moving to music and dancing while hooping.

When the average person thinks of hooping, they probably imagine those Wham-O cheapies we played with as kids. But hula hoops have evolved over the years, haven’t they?

I make my own hoops and they are high-quality, professionally made fitness hoops that are weighted. Basically the materials we use are irrigation tubing and connectors. Then you handwrap them with a variety of tapes, from gaffer’s tape and electrical tape to fancy chrome and glittery tape, to add color and durability. Store-bought hoops are too little, too light, cheaply made and they don’t last.

I also have a colleague, “The Cosmic Hooper,” and he makes LED hoops. The lights are strobing inside an opaque tube, and when you spin them, it creates an awesome light show. As if hooping wasn’t hypnotizing enough! Then we also use fire hoops and furry hoops, which are kind of a novelty.

When did you start hula hooping, and how did you manage to turn that love into a profession?

I did it as a kid, and the last time I had done it was probably in middle school. Then in my late 20s, I became active in a fire troupe, doing performances as a fire dancer on the festival circuit. That’s when it came on to my radar. It was a time when I really needed a good outlet, and I picked it up and never put it down.

I had been teaching yoga, and I really loved that, so I took what I know about dancing, yoga and teaching, and it was the perfect segue for starting my own business. It’s been everything from a hobby to make some extra money to a fulltime gig and everything in between.

How many hoops can you keep going simultaneously?

Right now, just three. I could probably do 10 or 12 just around my waist, if they were lightweight. But for me, it’s not how many I can do at once, it’s getting really good with just one. The people you mostly see using multiple hoops, that’s circus-style hooping, where you’re balancing on a ball while hooping or while dangling from a rope. But the art form of hoop dancing focuses more on doing a multitude of things with just a few hoops.

You sell hoops, teach workshops and classes and perform at events. Which of these is the most lucrative, or makes up the bulk of your business?

I would definitely say hoop sales and classes. I like to teach adults how to let go and be one with their bodies. It’s a joy to see people surrender and have fun, and be child-like. Our society is so serious, and we don’t like to stop and let go and play. I’d been teaching in a dance studio in Asheville from 2007 up until about two weeks ago, but the location wasn’t really working for us anymore. I teach at every Lake Eden Arts Festival, what they call a healing arts workshop. We get close to 100 people hooping in a big field. It’s awesome. And I also perform and vend at LEAF and sometimes run kids’ workshops there.

You also perform as part of a larger group, the Asheville Hoops Troupe. How did you get involved with them? Basically, by being a hooper, you meet others who are hoopers. We had a group of friends that was hooping together regularly — a couple were former students of mine, another was a co-worker — and we realized it would be fun to make some routines. All of a sudden, we were getting gigs. It’s really fun to work in a group. It’s far more dynamic. I like the challenge and the camaraderie. We all have costumes that are synchronized, which also makes it fun.

Hoop dancing is quite a physical workout. Are there mental or spiritually healing aspects to the art form as well?

Hooping is very grounding for me. It’s not unlike a person rocking an infant to sleep. The sensation of the hoop rolling around your body creates that same calming effect. It’s also hard to have a bad time in a hoop. I’ve never seen anybody frowning and hooping.

You’re a mom with two young children. Do you recommend hoop dancing to get back into shape after pregnancy?

As a mom, hooping is great for your core. And after having a baby, that’s an area that tends to need attention. It’s also an exercise you can do with your kids.

<p>Age: 34 Job: Professional hoop dancer Melanie MacNeil grew up in Plymouth, Mass., and became a WNC transplant after attending Warren Wilson College, where she studied social work. She has traveled the region, hoop dancing at festivals, and she represented the United States as a “hoop ambassador” in Jamaica. From June through August, MacNeil helps coordinate the Asheville Community Hoop Jam, a free hooping event every Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Pritchard Park. She lives in Mountain Home with her fiancÚ and their two boys, ages 2 and 2 months.</p><p>What's the difference between “hoop dancing” and regular hula-hooping?</p><p>Hula-hooping is more of the classic style, which usually is just spinning a hoop around your waist. Hoop dancing involves full body movement and also includes using the hoops on all the parts of the body: hips, hands, head, wrists, neck, everything. Also, it means you're moving to music and dancing while hooping.</p><p>When the average person thinks of hooping, they probably imagine those Wham-O cheapies we played with as kids. But hula hoops have evolved over the years, haven't they?</p><p>I make my own hoops and they are high-quality, professionally made fitness hoops that are weighted. Basically the materials we use are irrigation tubing and connectors. Then you handwrap them with a variety of tapes, from gaffer's tape and electrical tape to fancy chrome and glittery tape, to add color and durability. Store-bought hoops are too little, too light, cheaply made and they don't last.</p><p>I also have a colleague, “The Cosmic Hooper,” and he makes LED hoops. The lights are strobing inside an opaque tube, and when you spin them, it creates an awesome light show. As if hooping wasn't hypnotizing enough! Then we also use fire hoops and furry hoops, which are kind of a novelty.</p><p>When did you start hula hooping, and how did you manage to turn that love into a profession?</p><p>I did it as a kid, and the last time I had done it was probably in middle school. Then in my late 20s, I became active in a fire troupe, doing performances as a fire dancer on the festival circuit. That's when it came on to my radar. It was a time when I really needed a good outlet, and I picked it up and never put it down.</p><p>I had been teaching yoga, and I really loved that, so I took what I know about dancing, yoga and teaching, and it was the perfect segue for starting my own business. It's been everything from a hobby to make some extra money to a fulltime gig and everything in between. </p><p>How many hoops can you keep going simultaneously? </p><p>Right now, just three. I could probably do 10 or 12 just around my waist, if they were lightweight. But for me, it's not how many I can do at once, it's getting really good with just one. The people you mostly see using multiple hoops, that's circus-style hooping, where you're balancing on a ball while hooping or while dangling from a rope. But the art form of hoop dancing focuses more on doing a multitude of things with just a few hoops. </p><p>You sell hoops, teach workshops and classes and perform at events. Which of these is the most lucrative, or makes up the bulk of your business?</p><p>I would definitely say hoop sales and classes. I like to teach adults how to let go and be one with their bodies. It's a joy to see people surrender and have fun, and be child-like. Our society is so serious, and we don't like to stop and let go and play. I'd been teaching in a dance studio in Asheville from 2007 up until about two weeks ago, but the location wasn't really working for us anymore. I teach at every Lake Eden Arts Festival, what they call a healing arts workshop. We get close to 100 people hooping in a big field. It's awesome. And I also perform and vend at LEAF and sometimes run kids' workshops there.</p><p>You also perform as part of a larger group, the Asheville Hoops Troupe. How did you get involved with them? Basically, by being a hooper, you meet others who are hoopers. We had a group of friends that was hooping together regularly — a couple were former students of mine, another was a co-worker — and we realized it would be fun to make some routines. All of a sudden, we were getting gigs. It's really fun to work in a group. It's far more dynamic. I like the challenge and the camaraderie. We all have costumes that are synchronized, which also makes it fun.</p><p>Hoop dancing is quite a physical workout. Are there mental or spiritually healing aspects to the art form as well?</p><p>Hooping is very grounding for me. It's not unlike a person rocking an infant to sleep. The sensation of the hoop rolling around your body creates that same calming effect. It's also hard to have a bad time in a hoop. I've never seen anybody frowning and hooping.</p><p>You're a mom with two young children. Do you recommend hoop dancing to get back into shape after pregnancy?</p><p>As a mom, hooping is great for your core. And after having a baby, that's an area that tends to need attention. It's also an exercise you can do with your kids.</p>